Starring: Seth Rogen ... Dale Denton
James Franco ... Saul Silver
Danny R. McBride ... Red
Kevin Corrigan ... Budlofsky
Craig Robinson ... Matheson
Gary Cole ... Ted Jones
Rosie Perez ... Carol - Female Cop
Ed Begley Jr. ... Robert Anderson
James Franco ... Saul Silver
Danny R. McBride ... Red
Kevin Corrigan ... Budlofsky
Craig Robinson ... Matheson
Gary Cole ... Ted Jones
Rosie Perez ... Carol - Female Cop
Ed Begley Jr. ... Robert Anderson
Synopsis: Warning! This synopsis contains spoilers!
Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) is a slacker. He appreciates his job as a process server because it gives him plenty of time to smoke marijuana. His dream is to be a radio talk show host, and he frequently calls into talk shows to talk about how marijuana should be legal. He also is dating a high school senior, Angie (Amber Heard). She wants him to meet her parents but he is afraid to.
After a small fight with Angie, Dale visits his dealer, Saul (James Franco). Saul sells him a special blend that only he has, Pineapple Express. Saul has aspirations of being a civil engineer and claims to sell marijuana only to pay the rent at his grandmother's expensive nursing home. Saul would like to be friends with Dale, which Dale is uncomfortable with.
Dale goes to serve a subpoena on Ted Jones (Gary Cole). As he sits in his car, smoking some Pineapple Express, he witnesses Ted and a corrupt policewoman, Carol (Rosie Perez), kill an Asian man. Panicking, Dale leaves his roach at the scene and smashes into parked cars as he drives away. Ted finds the roach and recognizes the marijuana as Pineapple Express. Dale goes back to Saul's pad, realizing that the marijuana could be traced back to him. They decide to hide: Saul suggests "nowhere" and Quizno's as potential hiding spots but they decide on the woods instead. They call Saul's middle man, Red (Danny McBride), to learn if he knows anything. Ted's henchmen, Budlofsky (Kevin Corrigan) and Matheson (Craig Robinson) are already there. Red arranges for Dale and Saul to come back at noon the next day so Budlofsky and Matheson can capture them.
Instead, Dale and Saul spend the night getting stoned and paranoid. Convinced that satellites can track them through their cell phones, they throw them into the woods. They then fall asleep in the car with the radio on, killing the battey. They hitchhike to Red's. Red acts bizarrely and tries to call Ted. Dale and Saul beat him up, then leave him duct-taped to a chair. When Matheson and Budlofsky arrive, they get what information they can from Red -- including Dale's full name -- then shoot him in the gut. Ted is now convinced that Dale is an assassin employed by the Asian gangsters attempting to muscle in on his territory. The Asians also hate Ted because he killed one of them.
Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) is a slacker. He appreciates his job as a process server because it gives him plenty of time to smoke marijuana. His dream is to be a radio talk show host, and he frequently calls into talk shows to talk about how marijuana should be legal. He also is dating a high school senior, Angie (Amber Heard). She wants him to meet her parents but he is afraid to.
After a small fight with Angie, Dale visits his dealer, Saul (James Franco). Saul sells him a special blend that only he has, Pineapple Express. Saul has aspirations of being a civil engineer and claims to sell marijuana only to pay the rent at his grandmother's expensive nursing home. Saul would like to be friends with Dale, which Dale is uncomfortable with.
Dale goes to serve a subpoena on Ted Jones (Gary Cole). As he sits in his car, smoking some Pineapple Express, he witnesses Ted and a corrupt policewoman, Carol (Rosie Perez), kill an Asian man. Panicking, Dale leaves his roach at the scene and smashes into parked cars as he drives away. Ted finds the roach and recognizes the marijuana as Pineapple Express. Dale goes back to Saul's pad, realizing that the marijuana could be traced back to him. They decide to hide: Saul suggests "nowhere" and Quizno's as potential hiding spots but they decide on the woods instead. They call Saul's middle man, Red (Danny McBride), to learn if he knows anything. Ted's henchmen, Budlofsky (Kevin Corrigan) and Matheson (Craig Robinson) are already there. Red arranges for Dale and Saul to come back at noon the next day so Budlofsky and Matheson can capture them.
Instead, Dale and Saul spend the night getting stoned and paranoid. Convinced that satellites can track them through their cell phones, they throw them into the woods. They then fall asleep in the car with the radio on, killing the battey. They hitchhike to Red's. Red acts bizarrely and tries to call Ted. Dale and Saul beat him up, then leave him duct-taped to a chair. When Matheson and Budlofsky arrive, they get what information they can from Red -- including Dale's full name -- then shoot him in the gut. Ted is now convinced that Dale is an assassin employed by the Asian gangsters attempting to muscle in on his territory. The Asians also hate Ted because he killed one of them.
Dale realizes that Amber is now in danger. He and Saul go to her house. She is happy to see them, thinking that Dale has finally come to meet her parents (Ed Begley Jr. and Nora Dunn). Instead he tells them they are in danger from homicidal drug dealers. Her father threatens them with a rifle, then agrees to take his family to a safe motel. Dale plans to do something to save them. Instead, he and Saul sit in a tree and get high. Saul tells Dale he considers Dale his best friend, a comment Dale ignores. Dale instead suggests they sell some of their pot to high school kids to get enough money to leave town. They do so, but Dale is arrested by the high school's police liaison officer (Cleo King). When he tells her that he witnessed another police woman kill a man, her interest is piqued. Saul doesn't know that the officer is willing to help them and distracts her long enough to drive away in the police car with Saul. Carol has overheard the officer's report that she had arrested Dale and pursues Saul and Dale's stolen car. After a wild chase, Carol crashes and Saul and Dale get away.
Saul and Dale argue about whether or not they should be getting high so much. Dale insults Saul and immediately feels bad, but Saul takes it personally and walks off. Dale calls Amber to tell her that he wants to work things out. But when she agrees, he decides she is too immature if she wants to be with a loser like him and breaks it off for good. He then decides that he must make amends with Saul. Saul goes to see his grandmother, but Budlofsky and Matheson are already there. Saul smashes a pot of hot coffee in Matheson's face but is quickly subdued and taken to the Barn. Dale follows Saul to the nursing home and witnesses the police investigation of Saul's abduction.
Dale goes back to Red's house. Red is sitting in his bathroom, eating a cake and slowly bleeding to death. Dale persuades him that good karma necessitates saving Saul. They take Red's stash of guns and drive his Daewoo to the Barn, a former government drug testing facility that he uses to grow marijuana. When they arrive, Red decides he wants to seek medical attention instead and abandons Dale. Dale tries to assault Ted's men but when Budlofsky shoots one of his own men, whom Dale had taken hostage, Dale surrenders. He is thrown in a holding cell with Saul. They reconcile then plan their escape. When Matheson enters to tell them that he can hear their plotting, they attack him. Matheson shoots off Dale's ear but Saul gets his gun and shoots him in the chest.
The Asians attack the barn shortly after Ted and Carol arrive. Heavily armed and shooting anyone they see, Saul and Dale try to get away in the chaos but only Saul makes it outside. He returns to save Dale but is stopped by the injured Carol and Budlofsky. When Budlofsky decides to go home to his wife, Matheson kills him for losing his edge. But before Matheson can kill Saul, Red busts through the wall in his Daewoo, crushing Matheson to death. Carol then shoots Red several times.
Ted fights Dale in the subterranean growing room. One of the Asians slips in and plants a bomb. The explosion kills Ted as well as Carol. Dale carries Saul to safety, and Red staggers out of the ruined barn a few minutes later. Filthy and bleeding, they have breakfast at a local diner until Saul's grandmother can pick them up to take them to the hospital.
Review: Where's the Express?
Review by: Elliot Zatzkis, 2Reels.blogspot.com
It's rare for a big-studio stoner action comedy to arrive in theaters, and it's even rarer for studios to release a big-studio action comedy that's as ambitious yet uninvolving as "Pineapple Express." While the movie delivers fine performances, the deliberate pacing turns "Pineapple Express" into a surprisingly tedious action comedy.
"Pineapple Express" follows the not-so-ordinary adventures of two pot-smoking buddies. Subpoena dealer Dale Denton(Seth Rogen) and drug dealer Saul Silver(James Franco) are smoking a new type of weed known as "Pineapple Express." Unfortunately, drug kingpin Ted Jones(Gary Cole) wants his hand on the new product, and when Dale witnesses Ted execute a rival, Dale and Saul run for their lives in order to stay alive.
To be blunt(pun not intended), about a third of "Pineapple Express" feels tedious. Unlike most action movies, "Pineapple Express" settles for deliberate pacing. In a tighter film, the pacing could've been perfect. However, the screenplay settles for a directionless subplot involving Dale's relationship with 18-year-old high schooler Angie(Amber Heard) while a subplot involving a gang war between two drug kingpins comes off as a disappointing attempt to deliver character development for antagonist Ted Jones. Once again, these may sound like minimal complaints, but the combination of these two subplots add up to at least one-third of the film's running time. Meanwhile, the action sequences remain few and far between since the film wants to focus on gags as much as adrenaline. For every clever sequence involving Dale subpoenaing various individuals, the script settles for a tedious sequence involving Dale and Saul hiding out in the forest. To be fair, the opening sequence of a 1937 government test project plays out brilliantly, and the climatic shootout at a remote barn plays out like a "Days of Heaven" sequence on crack(in a good way). Unfortunately, these excellent sequences cannot keep a significant amount of the film from moving at a snail's pace.
The performances feel stronger than the script. Seth Rogen("Knocked Up") continues to prove that he is one of the funnier actors in modern cinema. James Franco("Spider-Man") gives his best performance in years, if not ever, as Saul Silver. Franco, who tends to act in more serious roles, fits the role of Saul Silver like such a fine glove that once cannot help but hope that Franco pursues more comedic roles in the future. Indeed, "Pineapple Express" delivers pitch-perfect performances from lead actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, and the final results (almost) keep "Pineapple Express" afloat.
After months of hype, "Pineapple Express" falls short as a stoner comedy and an action film. The film's amusing concept falls flat under shockingly deliberate pacing. "Pineapple Express" will become a box office hit, but unlike "The 40 Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up," "Superbad," and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," the new Judd Apatow production doesn't quite deliver what it promises.
Saul and Dale argue about whether or not they should be getting high so much. Dale insults Saul and immediately feels bad, but Saul takes it personally and walks off. Dale calls Amber to tell her that he wants to work things out. But when she agrees, he decides she is too immature if she wants to be with a loser like him and breaks it off for good. He then decides that he must make amends with Saul. Saul goes to see his grandmother, but Budlofsky and Matheson are already there. Saul smashes a pot of hot coffee in Matheson's face but is quickly subdued and taken to the Barn. Dale follows Saul to the nursing home and witnesses the police investigation of Saul's abduction.
Dale goes back to Red's house. Red is sitting in his bathroom, eating a cake and slowly bleeding to death. Dale persuades him that good karma necessitates saving Saul. They take Red's stash of guns and drive his Daewoo to the Barn, a former government drug testing facility that he uses to grow marijuana. When they arrive, Red decides he wants to seek medical attention instead and abandons Dale. Dale tries to assault Ted's men but when Budlofsky shoots one of his own men, whom Dale had taken hostage, Dale surrenders. He is thrown in a holding cell with Saul. They reconcile then plan their escape. When Matheson enters to tell them that he can hear their plotting, they attack him. Matheson shoots off Dale's ear but Saul gets his gun and shoots him in the chest.
The Asians attack the barn shortly after Ted and Carol arrive. Heavily armed and shooting anyone they see, Saul and Dale try to get away in the chaos but only Saul makes it outside. He returns to save Dale but is stopped by the injured Carol and Budlofsky. When Budlofsky decides to go home to his wife, Matheson kills him for losing his edge. But before Matheson can kill Saul, Red busts through the wall in his Daewoo, crushing Matheson to death. Carol then shoots Red several times.
Ted fights Dale in the subterranean growing room. One of the Asians slips in and plants a bomb. The explosion kills Ted as well as Carol. Dale carries Saul to safety, and Red staggers out of the ruined barn a few minutes later. Filthy and bleeding, they have breakfast at a local diner until Saul's grandmother can pick them up to take them to the hospital.
Review: Where's the Express?
Review by: Elliot Zatzkis, 2Reels.blogspot.com
It's rare for a big-studio stoner action comedy to arrive in theaters, and it's even rarer for studios to release a big-studio action comedy that's as ambitious yet uninvolving as "Pineapple Express." While the movie delivers fine performances, the deliberate pacing turns "Pineapple Express" into a surprisingly tedious action comedy.
"Pineapple Express" follows the not-so-ordinary adventures of two pot-smoking buddies. Subpoena dealer Dale Denton(Seth Rogen) and drug dealer Saul Silver(James Franco) are smoking a new type of weed known as "Pineapple Express." Unfortunately, drug kingpin Ted Jones(Gary Cole) wants his hand on the new product, and when Dale witnesses Ted execute a rival, Dale and Saul run for their lives in order to stay alive.
To be blunt(pun not intended), about a third of "Pineapple Express" feels tedious. Unlike most action movies, "Pineapple Express" settles for deliberate pacing. In a tighter film, the pacing could've been perfect. However, the screenplay settles for a directionless subplot involving Dale's relationship with 18-year-old high schooler Angie(Amber Heard) while a subplot involving a gang war between two drug kingpins comes off as a disappointing attempt to deliver character development for antagonist Ted Jones. Once again, these may sound like minimal complaints, but the combination of these two subplots add up to at least one-third of the film's running time. Meanwhile, the action sequences remain few and far between since the film wants to focus on gags as much as adrenaline. For every clever sequence involving Dale subpoenaing various individuals, the script settles for a tedious sequence involving Dale and Saul hiding out in the forest. To be fair, the opening sequence of a 1937 government test project plays out brilliantly, and the climatic shootout at a remote barn plays out like a "Days of Heaven" sequence on crack(in a good way). Unfortunately, these excellent sequences cannot keep a significant amount of the film from moving at a snail's pace.
The performances feel stronger than the script. Seth Rogen("Knocked Up") continues to prove that he is one of the funnier actors in modern cinema. James Franco("Spider-Man") gives his best performance in years, if not ever, as Saul Silver. Franco, who tends to act in more serious roles, fits the role of Saul Silver like such a fine glove that once cannot help but hope that Franco pursues more comedic roles in the future. Indeed, "Pineapple Express" delivers pitch-perfect performances from lead actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, and the final results (almost) keep "Pineapple Express" afloat.
After months of hype, "Pineapple Express" falls short as a stoner comedy and an action film. The film's amusing concept falls flat under shockingly deliberate pacing. "Pineapple Express" will become a box office hit, but unlike "The 40 Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up," "Superbad," and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," the new Judd Apatow production doesn't quite deliver what it promises.
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